Announces $340,000 for Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail

Press Release

Announces $340,000 for Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail

Congressman Artur Davis is pleased to announce that the Federal Highway Administration has awarded the Alabama Department of Transportation $340,000 to enhance the development of the Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail. The BBNHT aspires to educate visitors about the "comprehensive Black Belt story" by enhancing tourists' experiences at historical, cultural, and natural sites in the Black Belt region.

Named for its dark and fertile soil once considered a prime location for growing cotton, the Black Belt region is famous for beautiful natural landscapes, pristinely maintained antebellum homes, and harrowed sites from the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors to the BBNHT will have the opportunity to walk the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, visit the nationally-acclaimed quilt makers of Gee's Bend, sample local Southern cuisine, and marvel at Native American wonders that have long been a part of the Black Belt fabric. The Black Belt is also home to various species of flora and fauna that exist in Alabama State Parks and the terrain surrounding the Tombigbee, Black Warrior, and Alabama Rivers.

Funds from the FHA will provide for the promotion of the region's historical and natural tourism industry through various programs such as market research, a certified guide program, host training, interpretive panels, downtown walking tours, audio tours, and video. The BBNHT follows 210 miles of US 80 through eight counties in Alabama, six of which are part of the 7th Congressional District, including Lowndes, Dallas, Perry, Marengo, Hale and Sumter Counties.

"The Black Belt not only is a cornerstone of Alabama's history, but is also an important element of the narrative of the United States. I am honored to represent much of the Black Belt in Congress and believe that this grant will help Alabama share the richness of the region with visitors from across the country."

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